Good Bye
by The Mishmosh Bird
Summary: When the mighty fall, they fall hard. All good things will eventually come to an end. This is Danny's.
1. Sorry

**Hello people,**

 **Here's a little something I whipped up, but it _is_ completely pre-written, so there's that. The beta for this story is the very amazing LordOfAllBricks. Updates will be bi-weekly, on Fridays and Tuesdays if I can make it. There's a total of seven chapters, including the epilogue, each hovering around a little over one thousand words or so, except for the sixth chapter. That one's a lot longer.**

 **Disclaimer, characters aren't mine**

 **Without further ado,**

 **GOOD BYE - Chapter 1; Sorry**

 **By The Mishmosh Bird**

.

Valerie deposited her bag with a heavy thump, before dropping into her armchair as though her strings had been cut.

These last months, Valerie had been moving through her routine in a daze, going about her day with robotic shuffles and empty eyes. How could he...? Danny Phentom ... Ph-Fantom ...Ph- She can't even properly think his last name. Everything was in a disarray, her whole purpose, her whole life thrown up in the air and allowed to land in a jumbled broken mess, for the second time in her short sixteen years. And thanks to the same boy, no less.

Valerie felt so stupid. So dimwitted and foolish. She didn't even know what to do with herself around Danny, so she avoided him like the plague. Freaking ran out of the room the moment he walks - sometimes floats - in. She was angry and confused and frustrated and furious and empty and ... above all, she was sorry. So, so very sorry.

How could she not have seen it? Especially considering she found out about Dani and Vlad and ... oh my God.

Dani. She was struck with a sudden urge to go find Danny and ask him where the hell the ghost girl was and where she came from. She wanted to hop on her hover-board and fly right over to Fenton Works and talk to him and tell him she's sorry and she wanted, _needed to know_ \- then the urge faded and Valerie sunk back into the couch she had unknowingly half-risen out of. No, she can't do that, not after everything, not after she was so horrible to him. What right did she have to ask about Dani?

"Valerie! Could you go get the mail please?"

Her Dad's call startled her out of her brooding.

"Okay, Daddy!"

As crazy and insane as everything suddenly became, Valerie could always count on her Dad. If there was one thing in the ghost huntress's life that she never doubted, it was that her Dad will always be there for her, a steadying pillar. The unwavering northern star.

Valerie opened the door of their apartment. Reaching down and shuffling though their stack of bills and coupons, Valerie saw something that caught her eye.

It was a white envelope, bare except for one message, written in handwriting that Valerie recognized immediately.

 _To Valerie Gray, I'm sorry_

Valerie froze to the spot, dumbfounded. Then, almost in a trance, Valerie slit open the envelope and began to read,

* * *

Valerie,

.

I should probably be telling you this in person and all, but I'm honestly kind of scared you'll blast me to the Ghost Zone before I can get a word out. I have a lot to say to you, and I hope you'll be willing to hear me out.

Here goes.

Look, Valerie, I know we got off on the wrong foot and I know you're furious at me for lying to you. And if you want to ignore my calls and never see my face again, by all means! But I don't want you to go on thinking I messed up your life on purpose. I always tried to tell you as Danny Phantom, but you never listened. Now I'm trying to talk to you as Danny Fenton but it's like you've cut me out of your life.

So I'm writing you a note and if you still blame me and hate me by the end of it, then I'll stop bothering you and leave you in peace.

First of all, Cujo's not my dog. Well, he is now since we came to an understanding. But that time, way back when you were popular? That was just me trying to catch a ghost so I can throw it back into the Ghost Zone. I wasn't too good at ghost fighting yet, I only just got my powers, so Cujo caused a lot of collateral damage. Everything that happened to you as a result was an accident. One I'm very sorry for, but still.

Oh, and that time with the flour sac project? The only reason I got testy with you for 'not pulling your weight' was because I had thought that the only reason you didn't have time for school work was because of ghost hunting, something I already did and didn't get to complain about. You know, secret identity and all. I didn't appreciate you shirking your responsibilities because it had looked like you're pilling all the work on me just so you could have extra time to hunt me down later. When you told me that you had two jobs, I realized that I had judged you too soon and that I had been a huge jerk to you for the wrong reason. But you still need to know that that's not the kind of person I am. When I'm a jerk, I usually have a good reason.

I also want to apologize for that time I gave away your identity to your dad. But you have to understand, Fright Night and the Ghost King are my responsibility. You may have martial arts and really high-end ghost fighting gear, but I'm the ghost. You were hurt and you were limping. Ghosts have a healing factor, so I'm not saying you're weaker or anything, I'm just saying that my skillset is better equipped to withstand the draining effects of the Fenton Ecto-Skeleton. When I pulled off your hood in front of your dad, it wasn't because I wanted you out of my hair, but because I didn't want you to _die_. I'm just a ghost anyway, no one's going to lose any sleep if I gave up my afterlife. So even though I'm sorry for making your life harder, I would do the same thing all over again so you could be safe.

There's something else I need to clarify. I'm not sure what you thought about that time we dated, though I promise I wasn't trying to trick you or anything like that. I really, genuinely, did like you. I was actually going to give you this class ring and ask you to go steady when you broke up with me. I know it's not your fault for wanting to protect someone, but I guess I'm just sorry we never got the chance to see where our relationship could have went. But just because it didn't work out between us doesn't mean it shouldn't work out for you ever. Tucker's a nice guy. And if you really get to know him, you'll see it too. He just tries too hard with girls but if you give him a chance, I'm sure you won't regret it.

What else had I wanted to say?

Oh, right, Danielle. There's something I need to tell you about her too. We call each other cousins but it would be more accurate to say she's my artificially created twin sister. And in case you have any doubts, Vlad created her. I'd appreciate it if you don't tell anyone this. Even Sam and Tucker thinks Danielle is my cousin, but I want you to know the truth. See, Tucker, Sam and I? We're not on the best terms at the moment and I need someone to watch Dani's back, because I'm not going to be around too much longer.

And that's not all. Look, it's obvious that while I'm a guy, Dani's a girl and yet she was cloned from my DNA. Like, how did that happen? Well, after the government searched through Vlad's databases, a lot of the information was transferred to Fentonworks so I was able to access it. You know how you were able to relate to Dani so easily? How the two of you get along really well even though you had a rough start? Vlad had experimented a lot with his clones, really horrifying experiments. By searching through his databanks, I found that his attempts included sneaking steroids, growth hormones and ecto-boosters into various … fetuses. Biologically and mentally, Dani is twelve, thanks to those growth hormones but chronologically, she's barely a year old. And my DNA wasn't the only one he messed with. You were … the most convenient target. Biologically speaking, you're Dani's mother, and I'm her dad.

She's still more me than you, that's the way Vlad made her, but the fact that she shared your DNA made her a lot more stable than the other clones. And besides, she shares your determination. She probably willed herself not to melt or something.

I know I kind of unloaded a lot on you at once. There's just … lot's of stuff you need to know and I can't get ahold of you in person.

None of this is your fault. I dragged you into this insanity that day Cujo got out of control. And I just really wanted to say sorry for everything I've put you through.

I'm so sorry for everything. For lying to you and for making your dad lose his job and for putting you on Vlad's radar, on all my enemies' radars. For putting this burden on you when you should be focused on school. You still have a life. While I ... well, I pretty much lost all my chances that day I stepped into the portal.

So go live your life, go to university, get a degree, get a job. With me gone, the ghosts probably won't attack as much and my parents have developed lots of new effective ghost hunting gear with some input from Danny Phantom. They even got your dad helping them out with the programming and the defensive equipment. You won't need to worry about me, Amity Park or supporting your dad anymore.

And Valerie? Please take care of Dani for me. She needs someone in her life so matter how much she claims to be independent.

I would know. I'm her cousin after all.

.

Your friend whether you admit it or not,

Danny

* * *

"Valerie! What's taking so long?" Damon Gray's voice drifted from the living room.

"Um, Daddy? You might want to see this. And check to see if Danny's home. Something tells me he's going to do something stupid very soon."

* * *

 **Another quick word, the idea that Danielle has Valerie's DNA isn't mine. It belongs to MyAibou, from her story, Ghosts in the Closet. I saw it and pretty much adopted it as a head cannon.**

 **Personal promise to all readers, anyone who leaves a review _will_ get a reply. I swear to that. I may have to go back and stick your replies into old chapters if you're a guest, but I'll do it. So yeah, love comments, can't get enough of them. Please leave one!**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **~Bird**

 _ **Edited; August 6th 2016 5:07am (aren't I an early bird?)**_


	2. Thank You

**Disclaimer, don't own and all that**

 **Here's Jazz's.**

 **Chapter 2; Thank You**

.

Jazz could honestly say that university was exhausting. The workload in high school didn't hold a candle to what she had to churn out these days. Back then, a B+ would have seen her reduced to tears, but now a passing mark would make her day. And let's not forget the job at the local Starbucks she had taken up to try and ease the pressure from her budget. Her parents had agreed to handle everything school-related, but that left her paying for everything else and anything extra that she wanted to buy.

More often than not, Jazz found her thoughts wondering back to her little brother. She wanted to stay with him longer, he was going through such a rough time, but Yale University was threatening to give her spot to another candidate. They had already reduced her full-ride scholarship by half because she had delayed leaving by six months. Yale had very limited spaces open and they were picky about who they chose to accept. In the end, Danny himself had to practically shove her out the door and tell her to stop worrying and that he'll be fine to get her to leave.

She tried really hard to talk with Danny every week, but university is incredibly demanding. No matter how much Jazz cared about her little brother, she had a tight schedule and her own education to worry about. In fact, Danny's call hadn't come in two weeks. Maybe he's handling things on his own and hadn't needed her help. She hoped so anyway.

Until she found an envelope, sitting innocuously on her desk.

The words on the front had quite clearly been written by her little brother,

 _Thank You Jazz_

It was with caution and a strange dread boiling deep in her gut that she peeled opened the envelope.

* * *

Dear Jazz,

.

I know I call you every week, but we never seem to talk like we used to. You're always rushing around, all I hear from you these days is;

 _Can we keep it quick, Danny? I've got a lecture in five minutes!_

 _Listen, I really gotta go. Love ya, bye!_

 _Is this important? I've got a paper I need to finish by tomorrow, so I'm really not in the mood._

I miss the talks we used to have. The days when we'd grin at each other behind mom and dad's backs whenever you show them some newspaper about Phantom's Daily Heroics. Those times we sat down together and I'd pretend I thought it was gross how you'd kiss me at the top of my head even though I knew you knew that I was pretending. Hell, I even miss those times you trapped me in the Fenton Thermos. You were there and you were doing your best to help. That should have been enough for me, but what did I do in thanks? I shouted at you in front of the entire school and got both of us in trouble with Plasmius.

I guess what they say is true. You don't know what you had 'till it's gone. And as bossy, overbearing, and annoying as you are, I knew you'd always be in my corner. That if I ever need anyone to talk to or confide in or spend time with, I only needed to ask. I didn't realize that I had taken you for granted until after you've left.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming anything on you. I totally get that you need to leave this crazy ghost-obsessed family and find your own person … build your own life. And I get that you already put off the day long enough on the account of Sam and my break up. And I'm not trying to make you feel guilty … though you probably are feeling guilty by now... sorry. But please don't! It's not your fault! I pushed out out the door myself didn't I? i'm just too much of a baby to deal with my own problems and I guess I just really miss you and-

Ugh.

I should probably just start over, but I already scrapped, like, a bazillion notes.

Look, Jazz, what I'm trying to say is that I didn't realize how awesome of a sister you've been until now. And that I never even thanked you or anything. Sure, Tucker and Sam were always by my side. Tucker is so much better of a friend to me than I am to him and I am so lucky to have him at my side. And Sam? Sam's special... at least … I thought she was. And I've thanked those two so many times that they told me to stop.

But you? I honestly can't think of a single time I've said thank you to you. I hope this isn't too little too late and I hope you can forgive me for not coming to find you and telling you all this in person. It's just, my schedule is really busy too and it took a lot of finagling before I was able to fly over to your campus to deliver this.

So thank you. Thank you for keeping my secret. Thank you for always finding the time for me. Thank you for covering for me whenever I needed it. And most of all, thank you for being an amazing older sister.

Well, other than saying a long overdue thanks, I also have some requests. See, since Amity's ghost problem is dying down, I feel like I'm not as needed as I was before. I mean, what's the point of being a hero when there's no big bad ghosts to protect against? And to make matters worse, my obsession's going kind of wonky and it's hard keeping an image up for the public. So I'm asking you, please, I'm asking you to take care of Dani, if you ever find her. She's my twin sister, I guess you could say, and she's family to me. I already asked Valerie to do that but I'm not even sure if she'll read my note before tossing it. And I'm also asking you to have a talk with Mom and Dad. Don't let what I'm about to do break our family apart, you hear me? You're the only one I trust to keep this family together.

And keep an eye on Sam and Tucker too, if you get the chance. Don't let them blame themselves. I don't. And don't blame yourself either.

You're the mature one here, Jazz, I trust you to do what you need to.

Thank you for being someone I can rely on,

.

Danny

* * *

Jazz pondered for a moment, wondering why the letter sounded so odd. She's never heard of Dani before in her life. Why didn't Danny tell her about someone he considers family? And why tell her now, of all times? Then it it her. Danny was saying good bye.

"Oh, little brother," Jazz stared at the handwritten letter, hoping, oh hoping with all her heart, that it wasn't the last message she'd ever get from Danny, "what have you gotten yourself into this time?"

* * *

 **Reply to Review;**

 **Monocheshaa; Ah, hehe, can't really say much without giving away the ending. *Whispers* Your computer screen is so doomed.**

 _ **Edited: August 6th 2016, 5:17am (yup, still at it)**_


	3. Best

**Disclaimer;** **nah**

 **This one's the shortest chapter. Only 1,100 words! (Around)**

 **Chapter 3; Best**

.

Tucker collapsed on his rolly-chair and stretched his hands up high above his head, a small sigh leaving his lips. It's been a long day. The search was still ongoing for the missing town hero and Tucker had been running himself to the ground. This was his best friend, the kid he tried jumping off a roof with when they were nine (it was a low roof), the kid he went out with every night, hunting for spectral menaces. The kid he shared anything and everything with. Tucker can't _not_ pour his every breath into finding Danny.

He cast his mind back, trying to remember an instance where Danny hinted that he was running away, in great danger, going through depression, anything, and Tucker realized, he hadn't spoken to Danny in well over a month. Hell, not even a phone call. How could something like that not have occurred to him until now?

Being Mayor was not nearly as easy as Montez, or Vlad for that matter, made it look. The sheer number of paperwork he had to deal with daily and documents needing his approval was enough to make anybody's head turn. Even now, he had a mountain of it to work through before he was free to go home and sleep.

He shuffled around the papers, trying to delay the inevitable when something caught his eye. Buried between the new legislation for sewer gates and a citizenry complaint which had somehow made it past the screening process, was a plain white envelope. Picking it up, Tucker read the words printed across the front in achingly familiar handwriting.

 _To the Best Mayor Amity Park has ever seen_

In the blink of an eye, Tucker had torn open the paper and was raking his eyes hungrily over the words on the page.

* * *

What's up, Tuck?

.

You know how we've both been really busy, like paper work for you and protecting Amity Park for me, and we didn't get any chances to talk these last few days? I would totally fly over there and meet you in person, but your assistant is really strict about schedules and she didn't let me in the last time I tried.

You're probably wondering why I'm leaving a note instead of emailing you and the answer to that is simple. I just have the feeling that you'd see this sooner if it was a single written note dropped on your desk instead of an email crammed among hundreds of business stuff and complaints in your inbox.

And ... well, I have some important things to tell you. I didn't want to risk this message ending up in your spam folder.

Sam and I broke up about a month ago. It was over such a small and ridiculous thing too, and honestly, I don't feel like talking - writing? - about it, so you'll have to ask her. I would have told you sooner, but I had wanted to do it in person. C'mon, like, we've known each other how long? Must've been seven years at least. You deserve to hear about something like that in person. I swear I tried my best, but I kind of gave up on that after a month. I couldn't even have snuck in as a ghost, since the mayoral office has a ghost shield running 24/7. I only got this message to you by sneaking in invisibly as a human.

So ... Sam. I wish I could tell you that it was a clean break and that we're still friends and all, but I didn't want to lie to you. The truth is, we pretty much avoid each other now. And she's already found herself a new boyfriend, anyway. The guys says his name is Blade, but I don't buy that. I'm pretty sure it's actually Blake or something. If you can't already tell from his name, he's a goth Sam met at the Skulking and Lurk. Apparently he writes great goth poetry and he understands Sam _so_ well.

I also wanted to tell you that no matter what, you are seriously the best friend a guy can ask for. How many people can you name who won't run away screaming after a day in my life? You, Tucker, even more so than Sam, stuck by me. You stuck by me like the irritating, persistently sticky glue you are. Are you annoying sometimes? Yes. Would I have it any other way? Of course not.

I could write thank you a billion times in this letter and it still wouldn't match up to gratitude I feel for everything you've done for me. It would be a waste of paper anyway. And besides, you told me that the day I have to thank you and Sam is the day we stopped being friends. Even though we hardly talk anymore, I really do hope we're still friends.

And since I can't thank you, I'll just have to bring up your ego. Tucker, I cannot think of a better, more supportive friend. I'm a C student myself, but you and Sam keep me from doing anything too stupid. Sam was my common sense, while you were my tech support. You knew all the itty-bitty technicalities and you're a fast study.

I mean, look at you! Youngest mayor in the history of Amity Park, probably the world. I always knew you'd go far, but this is ridiculous.

Oh, and one more thing, Valerie won't talk to me because ... actually, I'm not entirely sure why she won't talk to me. Maybe she still blames me or something. So, Tuck, can you watch out for her? For me? Check in with her every now and again? Make sure she's getting on okay? Heck, you might have better luck with her now that she knows what's up. Just because I have horrible luck with girls (Paulina, Valerie and now Sam) doesn't mean you should be dragged down with me. If you're still interested in Valerie, I say go for it.

I know I'm repeating myself, but you really are the bestest friend ever. Remember that, alright? And remember that Sam and I breaking up had nothing to do with you.

It's not your fault.

.

Wishing you the best,

Danny

* * *

Tucker gave a strangled laugh, before re-reading everything again, drinking in the words. Then he leapt out of his chair, fingers scrambling for the nearest phone. Tucker needed to know whether Danny left other letters. Maybe they can piece together a lead.

* * *

 **Reply to Guest Review;**

 **Monocheshaa: Oh don't be like that ... I can't say much more without giving everything away, but I promise that things will work themselves out. I** **n the meantime, it would be a wise idea to buckle in. Besides, I don't think Danny can afford a computer.**

 _ **Edited: August 6th 2016, 5:28am (I am just churning through these)**_


	4. Black Rose

**Disclaimer; seriously, we've been over this**

 **This could be perceived as Sam-bashing. Maybe a little OC. I should apologize about that, but if Danny were ever to leave, I feel like Sam would be the biggest motivator, thus she's the one who wronged him the most. And you've gotta admit, that girl's headstrong.**

 **Chapter 4; Black Rose**

.

Samantha Manson laid across her bed as several conflicting emotions spun and crashed in her head like bumper cars. She was regretful for the way things ended with Danny, that she never made up with him, or even said sorry before he pulled his vanishing act. Angry as well. How could he just leave everyone like this? They might have fallen out but it's no excuse to run away like a wimp. Didn't he know how much she cared for him, how much she wish those stupid words never left her mouth? Not to mention the guilt that was swallowing her alive. Danny was right when he said those things, his words had hit the nail on the head and Sam just couldn't handle that. She had been so shallow, and so very selfish. She was no better than Paulina.

Her cell phone beeped. Sam didn't need to check it to know that it was her new boyfriend ( _new boyfriend_ , Sam swallowed back the bile that rose with those words) texting her for the fifth time that day. Probably asking if she was okay again.

He had been so kind and after Danny's blunt words, Sam drank up his complements like she had been stranded in the desert. She had also hoped (deep down) that Danny would get jealous like he did before and come running back to prove that Blade was a big fake or something. Then they'd both take back their harsh words and rekindle their relationship. Then she'd have a talk with Blade, and tell him everything and they can part way as friends.

How could she have been such a ... such a bitch! Using Blade to feel good about herself, and expecting him to happily leave after she tells him to his face that he's just some rebound guy. And to think that Danny would even want her back after the way she broke up with him!

She's despicable. She's a selfish bitch who doesn't deserve either of them. It's too late now, anyway. Danny's long gone.

Sam pulled a pillow over her face and cried into it. Everything had been perfect and then she'd gone and ruined it. Messed it up in the worst way possible. She cried herself dry, her throat raw and laid there hiccuping, for once without the motivation to do anything.

Her phone beeped again. Sam ignored it.

She was about to lay the soaked pillow back in it's place when she noticed a rose, identical to the ones Danny used to give her, with soft, inky petals and sharp thorns. Attached to it was a white envelope.

Sam didn't even need to open it to know who it was from. Danny had already sent letters to Tucker, Jazz ... even Valerie. Sam hadn't found her's yet, and she had been terrified that Danny didn't write one to her.

With trembling hands, Sam opened the envelope and began to read.

* * *

To Sam Manson,

I know I suck at English and writing, but I also know that you like this poetry stuff, so I wrote you a poem. I asked Mr. Lancer to look it over for me and he said it's fine. I spent a long time on this. I really hope you like it.

.

.

Blackened leaves fell, twirled, spun,

They blew where the wind decides,

Wherever, aimless, without purpose,

.

One leaf, a lucky leaf,

Met a red rose,

It was brilliant, it's colour alien,

And beautiful,

.

The leaf decided to stay,

No matter how loud the wind howled,

And screamed,

The leaf stayed stubborn, right where it wanted to be,

Beside its beautiful red rose,

.

Nights grew longer,

The wind screamed louder,

The little blackened leaf refused to move,

The rose, though, it's petals began to turn black,

.

The leaf was excited,

It believed that this means the rose understands,

Understands painful, endless nights adrift in the cold,

Understands the desperate thirst for companionship,

Understands the piercing ache of being alone, blown off course,

Lost

.

Then on a cold morning,

A human came with a blade,

The human never saw a rose so black,

A rose so strong it withstood the might of winter,

A rose so beautiful,

More special than any red rose,

.

So the human took the blade to the black rose

And cut her away

.

.

So yeah. Sam, I really like you. Maybe even love you. I feel like our chance at a relationship was cut short because of that stupid argument we had. I want to say I'm sorry we did't work out and I also want to say that I don't blame you.

Do you know why I gave you a black rose every week? You probably already know the meaning, but it's important you keep this in mind when I explain some things. A black rose means a new start, journeying into uncharted waters.

And I'll tell you something right now, Sam.

I'm dead.

I'm not even trying to be dramatic here, I'm literally dead. It happened when I got my powers back the second time, when the ghosts all blasted me with ghost rays. I didn't tell you because with the Disasteroid nearing, it didn't seem all that important. I mean, if we didn't focus on the plan, we're all dead anyway. And afterwards, you were so happy and relieved, I wasn't about to spoil things. Fully dying wasn't that big of a deal ... not when I've been half dead for years, but I had the feeling you guys won't see things that way. So I kept it to myself and, really, nothing's changed.

I actually got two new obsessions. One of them was to protect my family and you and Tucker, even Valerie to an extent. You three defiantly count as family.

These last couple of days, you guys all moved on with your lives. Jazz is right across the country in Connecticut, Tucker is off being mayor, you've got yourself a new boyfriend and I see so little of Valerie, the only reason I know she's still in Amity Park is because my parents are always meeting up with her dad. As a ghost, I can't move on. It's literally impossible for me. And there's nothing I can do if my family leaves me no one to protect.

So I gave you black roses. Partly because I knew you hated mainstream things and partly because of it's meaning. I wanted to believe that living a life after death was possible. To be a ghost, but live with humans. It's so insane, no one's ever thought of it as a possibility, but I'm Danny Phantom, damn it. No one's ever thought a ghost could be heroic before, but I made it happen. Even Vlad, hell, even Danielle, never considered using their powers to protect people simply because they had the ability to do so. Why can't I have this too? Didn't I earn this? Deserve it even?

But there's another, more common meaning for the black rose. Death. Mourning. Sadness and farewell. And now I'm starting to see that that might be the unintentional message after all. I'm stuck, immovable in death as I wish you farewell. Watch you leave me behind.

I know you and Tucker told me many times that I didn't need to thank you because the things you do for me are what friends are for. But .. we're not really friends anymore, are we?

So thank you, Sam Manson, my beautiful black rose.

.

Thank you for letting me be in your life,

From Danny

* * *

Tears welled up, blurring her vision and Sam hurriedly wiped them away. Danny was a ghost. A full ghost, and he never told her. He didn't even think of her as a friend anymore. Sam felt horrible inside and she deserved it. She completely deserved it. But in spite of everything, he hadn't forgotten her.

He still cares, she thought.

Sam's smile was small... and broken.

* * *

 **Reply to Guest Review;**

 **Monocheshaa; Nice of you to review again ;P As for how long Danny's been missing, a little over two weeks. 90% sure of what will happen, you say? We'll see...**

 **This one's kind of melodramatic, isn't it? IDK, what do you guys think of the poem?**

 _ **Edited: August 6th 2016 5:41am (man, I**_ ** _think this might be the last one this morning)_**


	5. Good Bye

**Disclaimer; none of these characters belong to me, I am not making money off of this story blah blah blah, yada yada yada, blrugh**

 **Here it is, the chapter this entire thing is named after.**

 **Chapter 5; Good Bye**

.

It had taken a surprisingly long time for Maddie and Jack to find their letter. Okay, not that surprising. Cleaning the lab was Danny's chore, sometimes Jazz's. And since they'd left the house, Jazz to university and Danny to who-knows-where, neither Maddie nor Jack could remember to keep the lab tidy.

They had also been busy leading the search party for their missing son. After finding out his identity, Jack and Maddie had been hit with a wave shock and guilt. Their own son. They threatened to dissect their own son. What kind of parents were they? How did they not see what was right in front of their faces? Then the shock faded and the guilt hardened into determination. After getting permission from Danny, Maddie and Jack worked day and night to reinvent everything, to make new creations that would help instead of harm their son.

They did everything humanly possible to right their wrong ... to try and make up for the damage they caused the ghost boy.

It was only after it occurred to Maddie that the lab may still have lingering radioactive residue that needed to be properly contained that the two of them really got down to work and cleared the place out. It was then that they spotted the envelope, splattered with green and somewhat crumpled, but thankfully, still legible.

The words at the front of the letter had rubbed off at some point, but that didn't deter the anxious parents as they ripped the envelope open and ran their eyes over their son's handwriting for the first time in a long time.

* * *

Mom and Dad,

.

I'll be the first to admit that I've been really unfair to both of you. I know the two of you tried really hard to be good parents. I also know that you two have been worried about me and my future or rather, my lack of a future. Mom's been asking me where I'll be going to university and Dad's throwing ginormous hints that he really wants me to go into the family business. And I haven't been answering you guys, always pushing it off or saying I'll figure it out when I get there.

Because the truth is, I don't have an answer. I only have one year left of high school and I have no idea what I want to do with myself after. I've always wanted to be an astronaut, but something about that dream has lost it's appeal to me. I don't have the study ethic to pull my grades back up nor the motivation. Because after all that ghost fighting? School just seems so pointless. I've been to space already, you know. Two times. Why would I want to go through years of extra schooling just so I can go there a third time?

But I didn't write this just to talk about my bleak future, it was more because I wanted to tell you about the Reality Gauntlet. There are some things you two need to know before I leave.

In case one or both of you don't know, it's an ancient ghostly artifact that's rumored to have the power to alter reality. It's origins are unknown, but many believe that it's older than the Ghost King, Pariah Dark himself. Anyone with the Reality Gauntlet is in full control of all reality, assuming the gauntlet is at full power, with the Gem of Life, Gem of Form, Gem of Fantasy and their power source.

You guys remember the Circus Gothica incident when I had been controlled by the ringmaster's crystal ball to steal all this stuff? Well the ringmaster's name is Fredrick Showenhower. You guys know him as Freakshow. And somehow, I'm not sure how, he got his hands on the Reality Gauntlet.

Long story short, my friends and I had to go on an unplanned cross-country trip to retrieve the three tiny gems in three days or else Freakshow would kill you guys, Jazz, and both Sam and Tucker's parents. Oh, and my identity was blown in front of live TV so the Guys in White were after my butt the entire time.

I managed to put a stop to Freakshow in the end, which left me in control of the Reality Gauntlet.

I could still remember the awe I had felt holding so much power at the palm of one hand. That addicting knowledge that whatever I wanted, my wildest dreams, could be made reality with a simple flick of the wrist.

With the power of the Reality Gauntlet, I undid the changes Freakshow made to reality and made everything the way it had been before. _Exactly_ the way it had been before.

Here's the thing, ever since I got my powers, one thing scared me more than anything else. It wasn't that I'll accidentally hurt, or even kill, someone with my powers. It wasn't even that I would become evil and destroy everything I love because I lost my family, Tucker and Sam in one fell swoop, as I had in one particular timeline (another long story you don't remember), but that's a very close second.

My fear was that the day you two found out that I was Danny Phantom, either because I revealed myself or because one of you saw me go ghost, you'd believe that my ghost self was impersonating my human self. That I was a filthy ghost who killed your son and took his place. And then I'm scared that you would pretend to believe me. Pretend that you accepted me before grabbing me in my sleep and taking me down to the lab to perform experiments on and as Dad always says, "rip me apart molecule by molecule."

Jazz picked up on this fear and did her best to assure me that you'll believe me because I'm so obviously telling the truth. Excuse me for not being entirely assured by that speech while Dad's in the corner, blabbing on and on about his new invention that can theoretically extract a ghost's core and Mom's in the same corner, adding that if the electromagnetic frequency were configured, then they could up the perceived pain (of course I mean perceived, Danny, ghosts don't feel pain!) by almost 20%.

I know you guys didn't know about me then and that if you had you would never have said those things, but I wasn't too sure of that last summer. Even after Dad told me that you two would love me no matter what, whether I'm ghost or boy or something in between, I wiped your memory.

I kept telling myself and Jazz that the reason I did it was because it was easy. Easy to fall back on familiar routine, to fall back on old habits of evade and avoid. I tried to convince myself that it was because I didn't want to make you guys a target for my enemies. Of the two of you, only Mom pose a threat (sorry Dad, you know it's true) and both of you hunt me more that you do any other ghost, so they don't bother you two.

But the truth is, I was lying to myself. Lying to Jazz.

I wasn't willing to take the chance that maybe you guys were pretending, that you were only waiting until the unsuspecting ghost filth was relaxed before pouncing. I know it's stupid and ridiculous, but after a year of constant ghost fighting, it wasn't easy for me to let go of my suspicions, no matter how irrational.

So only Sam, Tucker, Jazz and I remember what happened that summer.

It probably sounds like I am, but I promise I'm not blaming you guys. You two were only doing the most logical thing with the knowledge you have. If anything, it was my fault for not telling you two about my powers straight away.

There is a specific reason why I'm telling you two about this now, though. You know that my friends and Jazz have all pretty much moved on with their lives. They're all off doing their things. But me? I'm stuck in place. You two didn't do that. You guys didn't move on and leave me in the dust. Even though most of the time we've spent together nowadays are in the lab, running experiments, you guys still made me feel wanted to an extent.

And yet my friends, the ones that have left me, know so much more about what's going on than you two. There are so many things I should have told you guys but didn't. If I had trusted you with my secrets from the start, if I hadn't been so overconfident-so delusional-so much trouble could have been avoided.

Even though I've never been there for you guys, you two stuck by me. Despite everything, the secrets, the lying, you two are still here. You deserve to be told everything for once.

The things I had written may be hurtful but they're probably the most truthful things I've told you guys in a long time.

There's also this other thing. Remember that time during the Disasteroid crisis when the portal blew up? Right around the same time Danny Phantom mysteriously disappeared? And Danny Fenton suddenly got a white streak?

Well, you guys have already theorized that the only scientifically plausible way for me to be half dead and half alive would be to infuse my human body with enough ectoplasm so that each cell is in direct contact with the substance. Then there must be a ghostly counterpart to every cell, sort of like a shadow, to manage and maintain the ectoplasm. When I go ghost, you two theorized the rings of light that pass over my body is sending electric pulses into the ectoplasm, energizing the ghostly cell, bringing it into tangibility, while the ectoplasm causes the human cell to become stuck in intangibility mode or something.

I didn't know this earlier. When Danny Phantom disappeared, it was because I tried to get rid of my powers via the portal. As I know now, the only way to successfully pull off something like that would be to fully separate the ectoplasm from each and every single one of my cells. Because without my ghost side-my ghost powers-managing it, ectoplasm is very toxic to human flesh over an extended period of time. I was dying.

That short time my friends and I disappeared for before the Disasteroid? Yes, we were in the Ghost Zone, trying to convince the ghosts to help us save Earth, but it was also because the only way for Danny Phantom to be brought back was to have Danny Fenton killed.

I need you guys to understand, I am a ghost. Full ghost. I tried to make things work; I tried to live a life, in spite of being dead. But there is one fatal difference between the living and the dead.

The living change, evolve, grow. When something bad happens, they pause, they mourn and then they move on.

But ghosts? We are stagnant. Sure some of us are able to increase in power level and change our appearance in time, but our purpose in existence is and always will be constant. I'll remain like this, forever, chasing after two obsessions that define every aspect of my being.

I've seen how that turns out, and I don't want to force something like that on you guys. One of the obsessions I have right now … could lead down a dark road. I've done everything I could for this world, and for you guys, and now I'm spent. So I'm leaving. Mom, Dad, you probably won't ever see me again, not even if you comb the Ghost Zone lair by lair for the rest of your lives.

Please don't look for me. I don't want to be found.

Good bye, Mom. Good bye, Dad. Take care of yourselves. Take care of our family. Take care of Amity Park.

And please remember to remind Sam that I love her,

.

Danny

* * *

The two parents had thought that nothing could shock them after they found out that their son was Danny Phantom. Apparently, it was another thing they had been fatally wrong about. But beneath the numbness brought on by their son's insane revelations, the two adults were thinking identical thoughts,

 _I will Danny, I promise I will._

* * *

 **Reply to Guest Review;**

 **Monocheshaa; You'll have to wait and see. There's only two chapters after this one, what Danny does will be very clear very soon. I really do try to keep everyone in character, but some people are really sensitive to this kind of thing, so I figured it's better to warn everyone in advance. Uh ... no, Blade is just ... Blade, a random OC I came up with off the top of my head that you'll probably never see again from me (assuming you stick around ;P) As for Danny ... that would be spoiling now would it? BTW, I suggest you hold on to that laptop until the epilogue.**

 **Hey people! This thing is drawing to an end and I have no idea what you guys might want me to write next. I've got a poll set up on my profile and I would really appreciate some of you dropping by and voting. Well, that or let me know in a review, I love those things. Thank you very much!**


	6. Us Halfas

**Disclaimer; still nope**

 **Here it is, the longest (any my personal favourite) chapter of this fic. Like, at least three times longer than the average. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 6; Us Halfas**

.

"-do you think-"

"-something about the-"

"-Fenton-"

"-found a letter-"

"-been waiting for weeks-"

"Shush! The Mayor's coming!"

Mayor Foley walked up to the podium. To the crowd, he appeared calm and collected, but anyone who knew him, he was clearly anything but. Tucker's eyes were darting around and his left hand tapped a nervous beat against his thigh. His foot dragged against the ground in a soft shuffle.

"Citizens of Amity Park," The Mayor began, "I'm sure you are all aware of the recent disappearance of Danny Fenton, also known as Danny Phantom," - he paused for a moment, gathering his wits - "as you are all also undoubtedly aware, Danny left good bye notes to all his immediate family and friends ... including myself. In a recent development, another note had been discovered Danny's room. It was addressed to Vlad Masters."

Mayor Foley had to stop speaking on the account of the sudden cacophony of voices. He waited for the noise to die down before he continuing,

"The Fentons, Samantha Manson" - a female voice rose up, calling _Sam!_ in an indignant tone - "my apologies, Sam Manson and myself have read over this letter and we decided that the letter will be read aloud to the citizens of Amity Park."

Mayor Foley paused, as though giving the audience the chance to speak up and comment, but he was met with a blank silence. Taking this as an invitation to continue, Mayor Foley did so.

"It contains many of Danny Fenton's private thoughts and, since reading the letter, the Fentons, Sam and I all decided that it would be in everyone's best interests to understand why our hero did what he did. Danny Fenton left us for a very good reason and we believe that it is important that his...departure isn't falsified. That the accomplishments and the services he provided for this town aren't belittled by lies."

Mayor Foley took a deep, fortifying breath and began to read,

* * *

Vladimir Masters/Plasmius,

.

Look, I know we've had our differences in the past, and none of that is about to go away with a single letter. But the thing is, you're probably the only person in existence who can understand me. I know I have let you down in the past so I don't expect you to do anything about this. Hell, you're in space, it's not like there's a post office there. So no, I don't think you'll ever actually read this. I'm more or less writing this as a release, you know? Actually, in that respect, this is more of a diary than anything. So here goes nothing...

Thing is, I'm done. I can't take this anymore.

Look, at first it was fun. Adventure after adventure. Excitement. And that... arrogance. I had felt invulnerable, untouchable, even as I was blasted into the ground hard enough to feel the metal grid beneath the concrete cut open my back.

I was insufferably arrogant, but I was also so sure of myself. I knew that I was doing the right thing with my powers, that all those sleepless nights, those failing grades and those disappointed eyes from my parents, my teachers, even Tucker and Sam on occasion, I knew it was worth it. I was doing the right thing, the noble thing. I was the reason Amity Park didn't have a body count and I was the reason that ghosts only got beat up and captured, instead of destroyed and experimented on. So I thought it was worth it.

Everything had been so clear-cut. I made mistakes, but I felt I made up for them, always. I was always the good guy and my enemy was always the bad guy (yes, Vlad, that includes you). That's the thing about being the hero, see? You feel so justified. Always, always, always, with no room for possibility.

It's what I believed, anyway. And realizing how wrong I was shattered me.

It started with a crack.

The moment I first met my future evil self in a timeline that was only too possible.

I never told my family nor my friends about that. In that timeline I had decided to cheat on the CAT and this one small error of judgment had Mr. Lancer call my parents for a meeting at the Nasty Burger. Jazz had been along for moral support and Sam and Tucker had been there to warn everyone of their impending explosion. Literally everyone except for Valerie who gave a damn about me died because I decided to cheat. Tell me that isn't fucked up.

The alternate me must have remembered how you always made it very clear that you wanted me. That if I were ever to change my mind your door was always open. So he went to you.

I'm not sure what my alternate self was thinking, maybe he just wasn't thinking.

I'll tell you a secret, Vlad. At the end of that particular misadventure, I fought my older self. I won the fight itself, but the price of winning cost me everything. My older self may have been imprisoned in the Fenton Thermos, but my family, my friends, Mr. Lancer, they were all tied to the vat as it exploded. Clockwork had saved them, but for a moment, I had believed they were gone. And the agony was blinding. A monstrous thing that clawed and ripped at my insides as it struggled to climb up my throat. I had been ready to rip my heart out. And in the alternate timeline, that's exactly what I did.

With his Ghost Gauntlets, the you from the alternate timeline removed my humanity and in doing so, he ripped out my alternate self's ghost half. With no humanity, and mad with grief, my alternate ghost self separated your ghost half from your human half. Maybe because it's what I would have done if I didn't have any humanity. Maybe because my alternate ghost self wanted someone else to share, understand, _feel_ his pain. The beast that occupied my entire inside was gone and my alternate ghost self was empty. That sort of emptiness hurt. Alternate-Phantom had merged with your alternate ghost half, probably trying to fill in that roaring void. He then killed my alternate human self before flying off on a mad rampage, leaving your Wisconsin mansion barely standing.

He- _I_ -had left the world in ruins. When I got there, ten years in the future, Amity Park, the last operational metropolis was in smoldering shambles, it's ghost shield blasted to smithereens.

Ever since then, my faith in always doing the right thing in being a hero was severely shaken. I mean, no matter how you put it, I destroyed everything ... I leveled Amity Park ... killed … so many people … I became a monster. How can I protect everyone from ghosts when I can't protect them from myself? When the chances of me becoming that twisted was so real that the fucking Ghost of Time was ordered to kill me off before any of it happened?

Some nights, I wish Clockwork _had_ ended me. It would have been painless.

But I realize that people need me, still see me for the hero that I used to feel like. Hell, there's a series of comics after my adventures.

So I pretended to be arrogant, like I was before.

And since I'm writing to you, I may as well tell you my side of that time you cloned me.

Just think, think it through from my perspective for once. Think for a moment how messed up that is. And one of them was this little girl, couldn't be older than twelve and she said her name was Danielle. She wanted to be called Dani too, but with an "I." You tricked her, manipulated her as though she were some chess piece giving her honeyed promises you had no intention to fulfill.

It was - I don't even have the words to describe how angry at you that had made me feel. I had wanted to rip you to shreds. What gave you the right to play God? To create and take life so casually, so … callously? Dani was a little girl, an innocent soul, yet to you, she was nothing more than a mistake. I know you don't care, but I need you to know how I had felt when I destroyed your lab. You need to know that I hadn't done it out of petty hatred.

You were so mad. I had honestly thought you were going to kill us and I had thought that if you did, I would have deserved it. But not Dani. None of this was Dani's fault. Sam and Tucker saved us before that could happen and I pretended to be my usual self but in my head, your words echoed.

 _I'm not a villain. All I wanted ... was love._

Because in spite of everything, you only wanted a son, to be loved for once. Sure you were a seriously crazed-up Fruitloop, but I should have tried to reason with you. Tried to work out a deal, you understand deals, you're a business man. Hell, have a chat with that prime clone of yours. If the he was anything like me, he'll listen, right?

You never cared to rule before but after that cloning incident, you snapped. All of a sudden, you were the mayor of Amity Park. You stole the Infi-map, plotting to rule the world by messing with the past.

So even though I know that Sam and Tucker will tell me different...it was my fault. All of it, my fault. If I hadn't destroyed your lab … if I had done things differently, maybe you wouldn't be plotting world domination. Maybe you would have stayed your hand, kept your plots focused on me and mom. Sure it was annoying, and you hitting on mom was honest to god really gross, but less people would be hurt that way. It's not like I thought you would dare lay a hand on your beloved Maddie.

And then came the Disasteroid.

I got selfish, I didn't see it then, but I get it now. I got tired of getting my butt kicked and your Blasters were about arrest my parents for harbouring a ghost. Harbouring me. I didn't know what else to do.

I removed my ghost half.

After I did that, Sam started acting really distant and closed-off. It took a lot of whittling, but I finally found out the reason.

 _Danny, don't you get it? Your powers gave you a chance to change things, a chance that no one else had, and I was thrilled to be helping you! Now you're just … one of the crowd again._

That was what she had said, literally that I was an average nobody without my powers. I tried to put her words out of my mind and it was easy to do so with the Disasteroid's approach. They came back to haunt me later.

After that I realized that removing my powers had been a horrible mistake. Not only had I rendered myself powerless as the Disasteroid approached, but I had lost Sam's respect. And as if that wasn't enough, I began experiencing sharp, unexpected pains in my chest and, after scanning myself with the Fenton Ecto-Contamination Scanner, I found that without my ghost half, I was dying.

The raw ectoplasm from the portal accident was still in me. If it had been removed completely, like that time with the Fenton Ghost-Catcher or even … your Ghost Gauntlets, my body would still function. But with all that ectoplasm still in me and no ghost half to regulate it, my body would dissolve from the inside.

I hid this from everyone. Sam, Tucker, Jazz. I mean, the world was ending anyway, right?

But then I remembered that it was still my fault. I may never be able to make things up with you, considering you're stuck in space, but I will make it up to Earth. It was my mistakes that caused this, after all.

It took a lot of brainstorming, but I did have plan in the end. We can't move the Disasteriod. We can't move the Earth. So the only option was to have one of them pass through the other without harm. You were originally going to turn the Disasteriod intangible, and you had the right idea. Earth or Disasteroid, something had to give. I realized that the only way to solve the Disasteroid crises would be to turn the Earth intangible.

It was a suicide mission from the start. I told everyone I was going to go into the Ghost Zone, as a damaged, weakened human no less, and drag out a bazillion ghosts on some foolish hope that they'll help us. I pretended that that was the plan, but in reality, I was counting on the ghosts to kill me and, when I die, the energy from the Ghost Zone, the bit of ectoplasm inside me combined with my past as a halfa would bring back Danny Phantom.

But as a full ghost. I was hoping I'd be stronger and, with that power, as well as logic, convince, well a better word would be _intimidate_ the other ghosts into helping.

It ... didn't quite work out that way.

Sam, Tucker and Jazz insisted that they came along and I didn't have enough reason to turn them down flat. So we all went together in the Specter Speeder. A blue blast had struck the Spectre Speeder moments after our entrance, sending us careening into a box-like trap.

Then Skulker showed up, explaining how all the ghosts had fled to the Ghost Zone because Earth was about to be destroyed. Tucker, I remember, tried to explain that the Ghost Zone was the flip side of Earth. That if one were destroyed, the other would cease to be. Skulker still refused to see sense. He went as far as to proclaim that not only was it not enough for us to destroy our world, now we had to destroy theirs too.

I was … pretty ready to give up on this, to be honest. So I implemented my other plan, which would be to send everyone away in the escape pod, and taunt the ghosts to the point of blasting me.

Turns out, there wasn't even any need to taunt.

As I felt the blasts hit me, something occurred to me. I've always held back on ghosts. Never going full out, never incinerating them in an ectoblast, like I know I can. Even barring the fact that they were alive once, with hopes and aspirations like the rest of us. Even barring the fact that not all of them were bad, I'd always believed that, just as I don't truly hate them (except maybe Spectra, and my older evil self) they don't truly hate me. Sure I know they think I'm a nuisance and a goody-two-shoes with an insufferable hero-complex, but they'd never tried to kill me. In spite of everything, even the fact that I was practically counting on them to blast me to oblivion, a big part of me was certain they didn't want me dead.

I was wrong.

I could feel my heartbeat slowing, slowing, slowing to a stop. And then my mind was clear. Everything clicked. The ghosts hated me. They really did. The Christmas Truce was a bluff. Maybe they wanted to get on my good side, I don't know. But those ghosts? They're going down. No more Mr. Nice Phantom. No more goody-two-shoes.

No more hero-complex.

They're gonna pay. They're all gonna pay for coming near my city. Hurting my friends. Hurting my family.

"You just made a big mistake," my voice had been dark and full of malice. They were responsible for my death, I remember thinking. They took advantage of my mercy and struck me when I was at my weakest. Whatever I do to them from here on out was all on them. They made a mistake. So they suffer the consequences. I was about to strike them down, blast them, destroy them for doing this to me before I realized that I still needed my hero persona intact. If I let out my ghostly nature and destroy these pathetic ectoplasmic scum, Sam, Tucker and Jazz will never look at me the same. And without their support, how can I ever hope to save Earth from the Disasteroid?

I switched gears.

"Well gang," I forced lightness back into my voice, I needed them to see me as light-hearted and joking, like before,"There's good news and bad news. Good news; my powers are back. Bad news; my powers are back!"

And with that, I let a fraction of my rage out through my Ghostly Wail. It was more than capable of knocking out all the ghosts. I then flew over to the Escape Pod.

"Danny! You're you again!" Sam had said.

After leaving the Ghost Zone, I realized that while Danny Fenton had to implement this plan alone, Danny Phantom can get the world to help. I had talked it over with Jazz, Sam and Tucker and they were totally on board with the idea. Tucker even designed something that could spread the ghosts' intangibility all across Earth while Jazz offered to write my speeches.

Surprisingly, getting the public to listen went off without a hitch.

'Duh, you're here to save them,' a part of me had thought, 'after you've done that, they'll go right back to hating you.' I shoved that part to the back of my mind. They didn't hate me. Not anymore. I was practically a celebrity in Amity Park. 'But that's what you thought about the ghosts,' that part of me hissed, 'and look how that turned out.' This time, it was harder to ignore.

The time eventually came for me to go back into the Ghost Zone again, alone, to get our power source. 'Yesss,' that darker part of me had hissed, 'payback.' I shushed it. I didn't actually feel that way, I convinced myself. Those ghosts that blasted me were just releasing pent up frustration. They weren't trying to kill me so much as the fact that I was a convenient target. It didn't mean anything. It was a fluke, that's what it was.

Just a fluke.

It was right before I entered the Ghost Zone when Sam confronted me. She gave me back the class ring, that one I had asked her to hold onto and pretty much forgotten about since. Told me that if I promised to give it back, she knows she'll see me again.

I had looked into her eyes. And I had believed that she liked me back, just as much as I like her. We kissed. Actually kissed, not a fake-make-out, and nothing could have been more perfect than in that moment. In that moment, I forgot that Sam thought that I was a selfish nobody without my powers. I then floated into the Fenton Jet, gave her a smile and entered the Ghost Zone.

The second time was so much closer. I had all these ghosts in the net and, just as the Infi-map says, a portal to the North Pole opened up right on schedule. I should have known something was up, that was too easy. It was then that three blasts hit the Fenton Jet in quick succession, the first two taking out the engines while the third released the net. I was ejected from the Jet and the ghosts surrounded me.

I tried to reason with them. To convince them that saving Earth was the only way to save the Ghost Zone. That though I know they hated my world, they should at least care about their own. The refused to listen to reason. I had been left bruised blue bloody and black. Some of them laughed. Some of them called me pathetic. Some of them sat back and watched with hungry expressions.

A deep hatred had boiled in my gut, I had wanted nothing more than to see them suffer. Revel in their screams. They did this to me. So they deserve it.

I let loose.

It felt wonderful, in all my time ghost fighting, I've always held back. Except against you and my future self, anyway. Not anymore.

'Yes,' that part of me purred, 'end them. Doesn't that feel good? You want this, admit it, you just _love_ the feel of-'

"Ghost child, stop! You'll destroy her!"

I snapped out of my blood lust to find Ember trembling and her guitar in my hands and her fingers bent in a way not even a ghost ought to be able to. A strand of ice shot though me. Did I do that?

I handed it back to her and looked around at the gathered ghosts. Some of them were unconscious, most of them were bleeding ectoplasm. The expressions on their face, they were terrified... they were terrified of me. I looked down at my gloved hands to find them dripping green.

"I'm s-," the word lodged in my throat, I tried again, "Sor- ... I-I'm so sor-" I couldn't squeeze it out. The word remain stuck, choking me.

You apologize to people if you felt remorse, that was how it worked. I didn't feel remorse. If this will get me what I want. If this is would it took to save Earth and everyone I cared about, then I wasn't sorry. 'And because it was fun,' that part of me whispered.

I tried a different approach, "Help me save Earth. Please."

Skulker stared at me for a long minute before floating forward,

"If we do, do you promise to never permanently harm one of us ever again?"

He gestured to the Box Ghost, who was missing a hand, and then to Johnny 13, who's legs looked shattered and wrong. An image flashed in my mind's eye. An image I remember well from my short trip to the future. Johnny in a wheelchair and a terrifying Box Ghost with a hook for his right hand. I shut my eyes tight.

 _Now was not the time for an emotional break down, Phantom, you have the Earth to save._

I gave Skulker a nod.

After the Disasteriod had passed and the media died down, I had wondered at how easy it was for me to slip into my future self's behavior. And I had remembered the fact that I was sorry for everything I did to you.

It lead to many sleepless nights.

What good did I ever do for Amity Park? I always tried to help, but Amity Park only needed help in the first place because of me. I was the one who opened the my parent's Ghost Portal, after all. I was the reason why ghosts even bother to show up at all nowadays. They wanted to fight me, to test themselves against the great Danny Phantom.

And you. You weren't completely evil, like some others are. You only wanted to be loved. And I stole that from you. I did that. The one thing you wanted, I stole.

As if that wasn't enough, even with all this guilt, that other part of me was thirsting for blood. If a ghost did show up, and they rarely do, it became harder and harder for me to hold back. To restrain myself from utterly crushing them. And I know all of Amity Park noticed the change. I've seen the headlines;

Danny Phantom Delivers Brutal Beat Down

Amity's Ghost Hero; Has He Gone Rogue?

Danny Phantom on a Rampage

Everyone would be better off without me I thought, and I just about had myself convinced before I remembered my family, and Sam and Tucker. They still needed me, didn't they? They still loved me. And I know that finding out I'm a full-ghost now would completely crush them, so I didn't say anything. It wasn't too hard. By now, they were all used to my below-average body temperature and I could still take my human form. A memento from my halfa-days.

So I kept up the act for months, pretending that everything was okay when, on the inside, I was warring with myself. My obsession, seeing as I have one now that I'm full ghost, was split into two. One, to keep my family, and my friends, happy. And two, to make those ghosts pay. But since the second is not an option, I threw my entire being into the first.

I worked my butt off at school, and got all my assignments in on time. I always did my chores. I came home right on the curfew. And I did wonder, didn't Mom and Dad even notice? Didn't they appreciate the effort I had put in? Or were they too distracted with their experiments? Too smitten with the amazing possibilities of a human with ghost powers? But I digress.

I threw my heart and soul into my relationship with Sam. I loved her. Hell, I still love her. I held on to her with everything I had. I saw what happened when a person lived without love. I wasn't about to become another you. Tucker was important, but Sam? Sam was special. Besides, it was hard finding the time to spend with him when both he and I are swamped with duties to Amity Park. Him as the mayor, and me as it's ghostly protector.

I know I'm a really clueless person by nature, so I paid special attention to Sam. I hadn't wanted to screw anything up.

It was then that I remembered what she said about always being my friend, the way she made it sound like an ultimatum. She didn't like me, didn't think I was special, unless I was half ghost. I had remembered her cold demeanor towards me, even worse than Tucker and Jazz, who had also thought that removing my powers had been the wrong move. While they were clearly upset, Sam had outright refused to talk to me. And later, when I got my powers back. When I died and got my powers back, Sam was suddenly all smiles and kisses.

I remembered. And then I confronted Sam about it.

"Danny," she had said, "You're powers are a part of you. A part of you that I really like. When you removed them, you just weren't the same person."

"But I was Fenton before Phantom," I had protested, "I learned a lot from my experiences, yeah, but powers or no, I'm still me!"

"Yes, but don't you see how much better they made you?" She had asked, "Don't you see that you made a horrible mistake when you got rid of them?"

"I know I did, but I had hoped that you had my back with or without powers!"

"I did have your back. I told you I'd always be your friend, didn't I? Didn't I say that I'll always be there for you?"

"Yeah, as a friend."

She finally caught on.

"Danny, that's not what I meant! I like you! Both of you!"

"Actions speak louder than words Sam!" I had told her, "And your actions were plenty clear!"

"Fine! If you're going to be like that then I'll...I'll break up with you!"

That's what she had said. There it was, another ultimatum. I remember how the room temperature had dropped several degrees, and how Sam had started shivering before I remembered to rein in my ice powers. I had remembered a stinging pain in my chest. It was like I was dissolving again, starting with my heart.

Would Sam really break up with me over this? Something so small and, honestly, so stupid? Is she so petty as to say something like that just to win an argument?

And that crack in me. That crack that had grown and spread from my head to the tips of my toes. It creaked. And it broke me.

"Fine," I remember saying, "We're done."

And then I flew off.

I had gone home that night, hoping that Sam would call me, and tell me that she didn't mean it. Tell me that she had said what she did in the spur of the moment. Tell me that she wanted to get back together. I kept that hope alive for a week. It would have been longer, but that was how long it took for Sam to find herself a new boyfriend. He was a goth she had met at the Skulk and Lurk and apparently, he wrote the best goth poetry she had ever heard. She had told us that her new boyfriend understood her so well.

Our past ... our history, all inconsequential, apparently, in the face of an _understanding goth poet._ Sickening rage, fury, rose up inside me and I wanted nothing more than to see this guy, see him suffer. See him humiliated. See him ended. Was this how you felt about Dad? Was this the white-hot fury that you fed in your long years in the hospital? Was this the reason that you grew to be as bitter as the day we had met? I smothered the flames, desperation - desperation and fear -gave me the impossible strength to accomplish this. I won't turn into you, not now. Not ever. Sam can be with who she wants. I loved her more than life, and that's why I let her go.

And the next day, Jazz had left for university halfway across the country. She hadn't wanted to leave, but she needed to live her own life. I can't hold her back from that.

I did what was best for her, but not what was best for me. I needed her, as a part of my obsession, I honestly _needed_ her in my life. But me? I'm just a ghost. Jazz is alive and she has so much potential. I can't let her know how much I need her, I can't. If I told her she'd stay behind for me, I know she would. She'd throw her whole life away for the ghost of her brother. And I won't let her do it, so I shoved her out the door ... out of my life.

I lived for them, Vlad. The only reason I'm still here is because of Sam, Tucker and Jazz. Mom and Dad are still around, but how long will it take for them to move on, leave me to the dust? And I had operated without them for so long, I'm scared they're not fully integrated into my obsession. That they aren't enough to keep me anchored. Without a strong anchor holding me back, I only have blood lust. I only have the urge to destroy all ghosts. To make them suffer and make them bleed.

And I don't want to be that kind of ghost. The kind that's hell-bent on revenge and making others miserable. The kind that will grow into a monster.

I think the Observants had the right idea when they sent Clockwork after me, but now I'm finally starting to see why the Time Master never did end my existence. I still had more things to do. Without me, who would have helped Danielle? Who could have stopped Undergrowth? Vortex? Nocturne? Who would have come up with the plan to save Earth from the Disasteroid, and been able to motivate everyone into working together?

I may have caused most of those problems in the first place, since I was the one who made you the way you are, but I was the only one capable of fixing them. I had to live long enough to fix my own mistakes.

And now that I've done that, now that everyone moved on, I could feel my other obsession, the vicious need to _rip, tear, kill,_ tainting the edges of my conscious. I could feel it creeping, creeping in and taking over my mind. I could feel it eating away at what was left of my morals.

"I am inevitable," my future self had said.

And you know what, Vlad? I think I'm starting to believe it.

So there really is only one thing I could do. And only one ghost who can help me.

I'm going to ask Clockwork to end my existence.

He would do it too, he almost did it once already.

If you actually managed to read this (I wouldn't put anything past you), I bet you're laughing your head off right about now. The great Danny Phantom, reduced to a pathetic, cowardly suicide because of some nasty urges.

And I agree. It's pathetic and cowardly.

But I'm not invulnerable. I'm not untouchable. I'm not incorruptible. And I'm definitely not perfect. There, I said it. I, Danny Phantom, the great powerful ghost hero of Amity Park am as far from perfect as it's possible to get.

And I'm tired, Vlad. I'm so very tired. Keep the people who live in a ghost-infested town safe is exhausting, you know that? I don't think I've had a proper nights sleep since I was fourteen. I'm so tired of fighting, even as half of my core screams for blood. And really, you're not the enemy her. So here's to the end of our animosity. You don't have to forgive me for anything, but I forgive you.

Here's to closure.

Here's to the end.

Here's to us halfas.

But I suppose, I'm not a halfa anymore, am I?

.

Danny

* * *

The entire time Mayor Foley had been reading, the crowd had remained reverently silent, only gasping at certain moments. When the letter had ended, a hush fell over the crowd for all of five seconds. Then the town square erupted in noise.

Insults were flung with terrific aim, each striking a certain Sam Manson square in the forehead. Sam took it, knowing she deserved their words and worse. Former bullies, in particular, one Dash Baxter, was relieving his guilt in the form of complaints and laments,

"I didn't know, Paulina. If I had known I would never ... I mean, Fenton, I mean Danny, always seemed so weak and helpless. He-there's no way anyone could guess. No way. If I knew that his life was so hard, I wouldn't have. Never ever ever, I wouldn't."

Others were firing questions at Mayor Foley, one after another.

Can he do that, Clockwork I mean, can he really end a ghost?

How come no one noticed this? Why didn't anyone make Danny feel wanted?

Is there really no way to help Danny?

Each question hit home, with the speed and devastation of bullets. Tucker felt ripped open. Filled with holes.

But the most important member of the audience said not a word. Quiet tears, coloured an odd green, fell and struck the pavement, the memento of an old man's regret. The spectator watched the increasing hysterics and felt a familiar contempt rise up within him. What fools. Why, if he so wanted, he could take over them right now, and not a single one would put up a fight. Such sheep they were.

Vlad had come with the intention of overshadowing Foley and reclaiming Amity Park. It mattered not whether people knew exactly who and what he was, without Daniel's interference, taking over the world would be a snap. But upon hearing young Daniel's letter, he felt the urge drain out of him, it's last drops leaking from red eyes. Vlad may never prove himself worthy of Daniel's forgiveness, but he could start by not taking advantage of Daniel's absence like some deranged villain.

A hot wash of shame swept over him. What a heartless monster he had been! And to think of how he had treated Danielle, oh sugar cookies. Daniel may have forgiven him but the girl never would. He had wronged her in ten ways too many. But he can't leave her roaming in her lonesome.

Perhaps...

Vlad flew off with a new plan and a parting thought.

 _How can I forgive you, Daniel, when there's nothing to forgive?_

* * *

 **Reply to Guest Review;**

 **Monocheshaa; Nah, that was just his parents ;P As for the Blade guy, I just realized that the first successful Marvel movie was about this dude in the comics named Blade. And I do hope your computer survives long enough for you to read the epilogue, I'm worried for the damage it may have sustained after this chapter...**

 **Note; This thing's almost finished and I have a poll up on my profile. Please vote!**


	7. Epilogue

**This is it. I actually think you guys'll like the ending.**

 **Disclaimer; is this necessary, bro?**

 **Epilogue - The Time Master**

Two ghosts floated in front of the viewing mirror. They wore matching cloaks and, for all intents and purposes, look to be related. The first changed periodically from a middle-aged man, a toddler, to a senior. As he changed between various ages, his skin remained a consistent, otherworldly blue while his eyes were a steady boiling red that cut right into your soul. In his hand he carried what looks like a staff topped with a stopwatch placed between two clamps. The ghost tried to appear calm, his constant glances toward his companion gave him away.

The ghost beside didn't change forms. He could once, but he had forgotten how. In fact, he had forgotten many things; the day of his death, the origin of his powers, even his own name. In fact the first thing this ghost could recall was the other ghost, the age-shifting one, asking him what his name was, to which he answered that he didn't know.

While the second ghost may not remember much, he did know some things instinctively. For one, he knew that he was male. He also knew that he had been a good person in life. Though the age-shifting ghost had never told him, he also knew, deep in his core, that the ghost's name was Clockwork. The ghost had taken to calling him Phantom, perhaps because he lacked for ideas. Oddly enough, the name felt … comfortable, familiar like the white and black jumpsuit he woke up in. Which is stupid, considering that no ghost would bear the name Phantom. It's the equivalent of naming a human, Person. Regardless, the ghost couldn't find it in him to object. Every time he was called Phantom, his core thrummed in agreement.

So Phantom and Clockwork floated side by side in simple silence. Clockwork, because he had made a gamble and was waiting for the dice to fall and Phantom, because he was quite puzzled but content to trust in Clockwork's judgment.

The viewing screen flickered to life, showing five moving figures. Phantom drifted closer, feeling a draw to the humans on the screen. Something about them seemed familiar. He watched as a small dark-haired female, for some reason feeling as though he had looked into a mirror, chatted happily with another female with flowing orange hair. Behind them, a darker-skinned female watched on with a careful smile. A darker-skinned male wearing a similar, red hat ( _beret_ the word pops into Phantom's head), had his arms thrown around the watching female. A little further from the group, a straggler lurked. She had shorter hair, black and straight with a funny little ponytail tied off at the crown of her head. The whole group seemed to emit a sort of sadness and Phantom, for some obscure reason, really wanted to comfort them. It's not right for these familiar-seeming humans to seem so sad.

Something in his core told Phantom that their names used to be very important to him, but of course, he had long since forgotten them.

Watching the humans, however, calmed something in Phantom. They were alive and in time, their outward happiness will become genuine. Something else niggled at him though, tellin him that there were two more humans he wanted to see.

Phantom turned to Clockwork,

"There's two more, isn't there?"

Clockwork smiled at him, an action that made Phantom happy, though he didn't know why.

"You're quite right, young Phantom, there are indeed two more," he then waved an arm across the viewing screen and it rippled. Phantom's core tugged at seeing the five humans disappear but calmed again when they were replaced by two older, though still curiously familiar humans.

The two were as different as they were comically dressed. They both wore odd one-piece suits, one is bright blue, the other bright orange and perched atop both their heads were these bizarre contraptions that looked like insect eyes, _goggles_ that's what they were. The one in blue was lithe and female while the other in orange was male and much larger.

They were scribbling furiously on a big sheet of paper. On top, Phantom was able to read: _Common Ghost Courtesies; how not to offend the non-offensive ecto-American_ and something about the list made Phantom smile. It included thoughtful points like, ' _Never ask a ghost directly about their death_ ,' and, ' _Making light of a ghost's obsession is the main cause of aggression, be mindful._ '

 _They're learning_ , Phantom thought, but then became confused as to where the thought came from.

Clockwork noticed Phantom's content expression and allowed himself another small smile before sweeping his arm across the screen once more, wiping it blank.

Phantom stared at the blank screen for a long time, feeling, for what he knew deep down must be the first time, utterly satisfied and sated. And oddly enough, happy.

"Thank you, Clockwork."

Clockwork turned and smiled at his charge, "You're very welcome Phantom."

As his apprentice drifted off to attend to his neglected duties, Clockwork remained in front of the viewing screen for the next several hours (time was of little consequence to a ghost and even less to the Time Ghost).

He too was content. His gamble had paid off. Danny was still himself, even without his memories. Deep within the Clock Tower, the Time Master felt the frantic movements of an old forgotten Thermos cease for the first time since it came into his possession.

Everything was as it should be.

 **And ... it's ... done! Hope the ending wasn't too vague...**

 **Response to Guest Review;**

 **Monocheshaa;** That wasn't too bad, was it? I even pulled off a happy ending! And no, I never planned for Vlad to get suicidal ... that's just not him. And rest assured that Dani will be alright. She's got a support system, now that she's got a family and Vlad turned his attitude around. Thanks for sticking with me all this time. Each and every single one of your reviews were very much appreciated. I hope you'll review this chapter as well.

 **Katpet;** Hehe, thanks. I try *bows* and I do my best to keep things logical. Logic is very important to me. It makes the story work and it's the force behind the emotion. You psychic or somethin'? Dang, that was almost the ending _exactly._ Congrats.

 **I very much hope you enjoyed that. It was a blast to write. Throw a girl a bone a drop me a review. I freaking love those, and I promise I'll respond to everything via PM ASAP.**

 **Special note to guest reviewers, I'll be responding to the reviews on this chapter on my profile page, so look for it there.**

 **PLEASE READ; I adore any and all feedback (as you guys can probably tell by now) and I would love to see more votes on that poll I put up. For those who haven't yet, please vote! I've got a lot of promising story lines I'm eager to jump into and I really need to know which one you guys would want to see most.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~Bird**


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